A horrifying new report out of China is serving as a gruesome reminder of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s barbarity. The North Korean news service confirmed last month that Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Un’s uncle and previously North Korea’s second in command, was executed for allegedly attempting to overthrow the state.

That Kim Jong Un would murder members of his own family isn’t altogether surprising, although it is still sickening to hear. What makes this murder especially horrific, though, are the details provided by Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong-based newspaper.

According to the report, unlike previous executions of political prisoners which were carried out by firing squads with machine guns, Jang was stripped naked and thrown into a cage, along with his five closest aides. Then 120 hounds, starved for three days, were allowed to prey on them until they were completely eaten up. This is called “quan jue”, or execution by dogs.

The report said the entire process lasted for an hour, with Mr Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader in North Korea, supervising it along with 300 senior officials.

The horrifying report vividly depicted the brutality of the young North Korean leader. The fact that it appeared in a Beijing- controlled newspaper showed that China no longer cares about its relations with the Kim regime.

Two days later, the Global Times, associated with the People’s Daily, a Chinese Communist Party organ, followed up with a sternly worded editorial saying that the abrupt political change epitomised the backwardness of the North Korean political system. It warned the Chinese government not to coddle North Korea any longer, saying that the majority of Chinese were extremely disgusted with the Kim regime.

This should put an end to anyone who is continuing to operate under the delusion that Kim Jong Un would be an improvement over his father. It also shows that the relationship between China and North Korea could be souring. Of course, because the report is coming out of China, the details of the execution could very well be fabricated — which still is indicative of the relations growing colder between China and North Korea.

And while human rights violations are nothing new in North Korea, if this report is true, then it could be indicative of an escalation of those abuses. North Koreans close to Kim Jong Un are not safe, and the message is clear: anyone who dares to challenge or threaten the Dear Leader will pay with their life. Stalin’s reign of terror through executions and gulags may end up looking tame in the long run.